Iryna M. Koval (1,2)*, Svitlana V. Sydorenko (2) , Serhii H. Sydorenko (1), Nadiya V. Maksymenko (3), and Nadiya I. Cherkashyna (3)

1. Laboratory of Forest Ecology, Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Meliorationnamed after G. M. Vysotsky, 86 Pushkinska Str., Kharkiv, 61024, Ukraine.
E-mail: Koval_Iryna@ukr.net*, serhii88sido@gmail.com

2. Laboratory of Silviculture and Forest Melioration, Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration named after G. M. Vysotsky, 86 Pushkinska Str., Kharkiv, 61024, Ukraine. E-mail: sidorenko_svit@ukr.net

3. Department of Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Management, V. N. Karazin
Kharkiv National University, Svobody Sq. 4, Kharkiv, 61022, Ukraine. E-mail: nadezdav08@gmail.com, n.cherka@gmail.com

This paper presents an analysis of climatic factors affecting radial increment in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) in shelterbelt and forest stand in conditions of the Left Bank Forest Steppe of Ukraine. Standard dendrochronological methods and methods of variational statistics have been used. Tree sensitivity over time was assessed in terms of Pearson’s correlation strength. Two periods (1965–1990 and 1991–2016) were compared to detect features of the response of latewood, earlywood, and total rings to climate change in the shelterbelt and forest stand. The following tendency was revealed: increase in the mean annual temperature by 1.1ºC (15 %), increase in the temperature in April-August by 1.1 °C (6 %), increase in March temperature by 1.4 °С (1470%), increase in winter temperature by 1.0 °С (25 %) in 1965–1990 by comparison with 1991–2016. Mean annual precipitation increased by 20 mm (4 %), precipitation in April-August increased by 10 mm (4 %) and winter precipitation decreased by 32 mm (10 %). For the shelterbelt, the significant negative correlations between the annual and latewood index series and temperatures for April, June, the average temperatures for April-August and average annual temperatures were detected for 1965–1990. Also, a significant negative correlation between the annual index series and temperature for April was revealed. Precipitation for June significantly restricted the annual increment. At the same time for forest stand only significant negative correlations between the annual and latewood index series and precipitation for April were found. In 1991–2017 significant negative correlations between latewood and September temperatures for the shelterbelt were found. Despite greater sensitivity of the oak radial growth to changes in environmental conditions and its lower stability in the shelterbelt compared to the forest stand, the radial growth of trees surviving after a severe drought in 1975 stabilized in 2010–2017.

Nazi Avani (1)* and Habibah Lateh (2)

1. Environmental Studies, School of Distance Education, University Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM Penang, Malaysia.* E-mail: avani.nazi@yahoo.com

2.  Professor, School of Distance Education, University Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
E-mail: habibah@usm.my

The use of vegetation as slope cover becomes an alternative solution for slope stabilization instead of using shotcrete cover. Use of vegetation is a way to reduce the impact of engineering works and increase the landscape quality. Although the use of vegetation to reduce slope failure is common around the world during the last decades, but in Malaysia there is still lack of such studies. Therefore, to answer the question whether the existence of tropical trees increase the soil shear strength against slope failure and measuring the amount of increase, the soil engineering properties of two tropical species were studied. Eight trees of similar age of Acacia mangium and Macaranga tanarius, were selected along the East-West highway, Malaysia. The direct shear tests were used to analyze the effect of tree roots on soil mechanical properties. Soil and root properties such as moisture and bulk density with and without root and root architecture of two species were analyzed. The results showed that the existence of roots increases soil shear strength and this is higher in soil sample with M. tanarius roots which increases it with about 11 % to 44 % while A. mangium trees increase soil shear strength with about 7 % to 27 %. The soil particle size in M. tanarius samples shows higher coarse grain size, therefore, the higher soil shear strength could be explained. The results showed that there is a negative correlation between soil moisture and soil shear strength and a positive correlation between soil bulk density and soil shear strength. The root architecture of M. tanarius with VH-type also imply the higher soil shear strength compare with A. mangium. In conclusion, M. tanarius root and soil properties implied higher soil shear strength of soil samples compared to A. mangium.

Antoaneta Frantzova

Climate, Atmosphere and Water Research Institute at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (CAWRIBAS), 66 Tsarigradsko shose Blvd., 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: antoaneta-bas@mail.bg, frantzantoanet@yahoo.com
 

During the last years new methodologies are developed for the natural hazards risk assessment. The presented work deals with the methodology firstly developed by several bodies at global and regional level (United Nations programs – ISDR, UNDP; Inter-American Development Bank and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GTZ); ESPON 3.1.3 Hazards Project; Joint Research Centre (JRC), EC. Our goal is to further improve these methodologies including some new elements such as: building risk profiles, introduction of the qualitative and quantitative risk levels, combination of several hazards and the influencing factors, and application of the developed methodology to some selected objects in Bulgaria (forest fires around Etropole town surroundings). Presented methodology shows reasonable results and could be explored and exploited by the local authorities, civil defense and risk managers.

Alexey Andreychev (1)* and Ekaterina Boyarova (2)

1. Department of Zoology, National Research Mordovia State University, Saransk 430005, Russia. *E-mail: andreychev1@rambler.ru

2. Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Republic of Mordovia,
Saransk 430030, 1a Dal’naya Str., Russia.

Republic of Mordovia in Russia is a historical focus for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and tularemia. This study aimed at assessing the current status of these foci by studying their rodent reservoirs. Among the small rodents in Mordovia, the red bank vole, the common vole and the house mouse play an important role as carriers of zoonotic diseases. However, it is necessary to take into account the role of such а small species as forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula), which has a high percentage of infection. Of all examined dormice, 66.7 % were found to have antigens of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome viral pathogen, and 33.3 % - to have antigens of tularemia pathogen. Only one specimen (16.7 %) was found to have no antigens of zoonotic diseases. Our study concluded that the forest dormouse in the Republic of Mordovia was incriminated as a pathogen reservoir causing infectious diseases in human.